Deities of Om
Deities of Om The twelve deities of OM are active participants in the affairs of the world. Their goals and motives are often a mystery to mere mortals, but all have agents working diligently throughout the realms to carry out their respective wills. The Gods are neither good nor evil, they simply are. Individual clerics interpret the teachings of the Gods differently, and it's up to them to decide how to use the divine power their insights grant them. The Teacher - Azul "Ignorance is darkness, let knowledge light thy way. Learn from those willing to teach and teach those who wish to learn. Record knowledge for future generations and preserve the knowledge that already exists." Azul is the god of knowledge, lore, and arcane magic. He is worshiped by mages, scribes, teachers and sages. His holy books are filled with lessons promoting education and reasoning. In art, he is represented as a white crow or an ancient elf in white robes. He is known to have a weird sense of humor and sometimes plays tricks on people to teach them a lesson. Azul's temples are usually found in larger settlements and often serve as libraries. Casual worshipers of The Teacher will pray to pass a test or to find the answer to a question. Devout followers take vows of continual study and are mandated to seek out and protect knowledge. At various times throughout history, followers of The Teacher have come into conflict with some of the more superstitious or anti-intellectual governments, but in the current age of the Re-Illumination, Azul is very much in vogue. A good cleric of The Teacher uses his knowledge for good and seeks to spread learning and reason. An evil cleric of The Teacher hoards knowledge and justifies his evil deeds by "teaching" his victims a lesson. The Mason - Morin "As the smith’s hammer shapes iron into tools, so do laws shape mortals into productive members of society. As the flaming ingot must be tempered with water, so too must law be tempered by justice. The useful arts are the Gods’ gifts to mortals. Make use of them and be prosperous." A popular god with Humans, Gnomes, and Dwarves, Morin is worshiped in almost every realm in Om. His teachings cover the principles of architecture, mining and craftsmanship as well as common law. Courts and halls of justice are usually dedicated to the Mason and contracts are often sworn in his name. Devout followers of the Mason (many being Dwarves) are usually master craftsmen, renowned brewers, or legal scholars. Casual worshipers pray to Morin when they construct a home or shave to go to court. A good cleric of The Mason seeks a righteous order for all to live in. An evil cleric of The Mason seeks an orderly tyranny. The Warrior - Tanos "Valor on the field of battle is the highest expression of virtue. Thy word is thy bond. Honor demands that all oaths must be held sacred. Victory comes to those who conquer fear and doubt." The Warrior is a unique deity in that he prefers his worshipers celebrate him through feasting and sport rather than with somber prayer. The Feast halls of Tanos serve as temples of worship but also as places for fighters to gather and test their strength and skill at arms against one another. They are often located near barracks or military installations. Worshipers of Tanos are famous for their loud drumming and one can usually find a Feast hall by following the sound. Donations to the Feast halls of Tanos sometimes go towards training and maintaining the local militia. In art and in song, Tanos is depicted as a tall, blonde, fearsome looking warrior riding a golden pegasus into battle. He wears a winged helm and wields a flaming sword. Most soldiers and mercenaries pay homage to The Warrior and any oath of importance is sworn in his name. Priests take a vow of regular physical exertion and study weapons, combat and tactics. Governments often depend heavily on Tanos to fight their wars for them, employing his clerics to train and lead their troops. A good cleric of The Warrior fights only for just causes. An evil cleric of The Warrior fights just 'cause. The Dancer - Prelesta "Om’s gifts are a sacred trust. Abuse them not and they shall provide for all. Flora and fauna are our brothers and sisters in life. Treat them with respect and reverence. Om holds many secrets for those willing to listen" A commonly worshiped goddess of Elves, bards, and rangers, Prelesta manifests herself in many ways. She can take the form of anything that can arise in nature, from a peaceful doe to an awesome storm cloud. In art, she is usually depicted as a beautiful Elven maiden or a white doe. Casual worshipers may ask for her blessing any time they go into the woods or when they're having trouble with a lover. Some devout clerics take a vow not to use metal, as mining disrupts nature. Prelesta’s temples blend in with nature and are often hard to spot. This religion is not popular with many governments, as it has often been opposed to resource gathering and expansion. Some extreme sects of Prelesta worshipers believe that any disruption of nature is an insult to their goddess. A good cleric of The Dancer seeks harmony between people and nature. An evil cleric of the Dancer cares little for people’s lives and will do anything to protect nature. The Mother - Makaya "Provide mercy and shelter to all who seek it. Give succor to the least of thy neighbors and protect the weak. Shelter the sick and comfort the downtrodden. Treat all of the Gods’ creations as sacred." Makaya's clerics bring comfort to those that suffer and healing to the sick. Her clerics run hospitals or shelters and provide charity to beggars and refugees. Traveling clerics of the Mother often follow armies or go to lands ravaged by plague.The more devout members of Makaya's clergy take a vow of pacifism. Casual worshipers will pray to her when someone they care about is wounded or sick of if they have a loved one that has gone off to war. Many lords encourage the followers of the Mother to establish temples in their lands and often subsidize the construction. On rare occasions, the church's dedication to peace and pacifism comes into conflict with the goals of a local ruler but most times the church tries to avoid getting too involved with politics. A good cleric of the Mother is selfless and dedicated to ending the suffering of others. Evil clerics of Makaya are extremely rare, but people do crazy shit sometimes so I guess it’s possible. The Traveler - Namas "Roads and the lanes of the sea are the veins of civilization through which the lifeblood of trade, ideas, and culture flows. Hold them sacred and make good use of them. Travel and record your experiences so that others may follow. Forge new paths across land and sea. Protect those who seek new horizons. Guide the lost." The god of voyages, wisdom and the sea has seen an increase in popularity since the ReIllumination. Small temples and shrines of The Traveler hug roads, ports and coastlines. Shrines of Names are known to sometimes contain small caches of maps, surveys, and travel logs for the faithful to share. The Traveler’s clergy are not as numerous or organized as The Father, The Warrior or The Mason, but they are valued for their skills as healers, navigators, and guides. In art, Namas is depicted as a middle aged man in a traveling hat baring a white staff or as a Golden Albatross. Casual worshipers pray to Namas when they go on a journey or sea voyage. Devout priests take a vow of travel constantly. Some sign onto ships crews as navigators while others walk the roads, helping lost travelers and tending to any shrines they pass on the way. Upon the end of a journey, all priests of Namas are required to record their experiences. Some haters accuse the followers of Namas of being aloof and undisciplined because of their nomadic lifestyle, but outright hostility towards Namas has been rare. A good cleric of Namas roams the earth helping those in need and guides lost travelers. An evil cleric of Namas roams the earth exploiting the weak while giving bad directions. The Bull - Charno "Self reliance is the first step on the path to greatness. Actualize your inner strength and achieve the full potential of your true self. Focus inward. The actualized self is the only true thing in the multiverse. Everything else is secondary." Charno has never been one of the more popular gods. In some places, the religion is seen as gaudy, arrogant and distracting from truer, more charitable faiths. Charno is worshiped by Minotaurs, merchants, bankers and some nobles. In lore, he is often depicted as a young, strong, charming man who either gets what he wants through ambition and the world is better for it (in the stories created by his followers) or is a victim of his own greed (in the stories of other religions). In art, he is represented by a red bull. Charno does not have temples, instead his followers build monuments. Charno’s followers are encouraged to read the holy books by themselves and apply them to their lives but are not necessarily required to convert others to the faith. Casual worshipers may pray to Charno when they are short of money or need a break in life. Devout worshippers focus almost all of their energy on building projects in the name of Charno. A good cleric of Charno would use his strength and wealth to help himself by helping others (improving the community, assisting the city guard, etc). An evil cleric of Charno is completely selfish and arrogant and uses his resources for personal gain. The Dragon - Leelin "Be master of your emotions and you can accomplish great things. Seek harmony of body and mind. See the long view. Your honor is a reflection of your soul. Learn the eternal truths, follow the code." Leelin is a fairly new religion to the west, imported by merchants from far eastern lands during the time of the Parthian Empire. Worshipers of Leelin admire dragons and are on a constant quest of self-improvement. A common misconception is that they literally worship dragons. In reality, they meditate on various texts dealing with dragons, which they believe can serve as a metaphor to teach people how to live better lives. Casual worshipers may pray to Leelin on a point of honor or if they want to see a dragon. Devoted clerics of The Dragon reside in isolated monistaries and live austire lives dedicated to martial arts and spiritual enlightnement. The fighting monks of Leelin are known through out the realms as feirce warriors and wise sages. Leelin’s temples are often on top of high mountains, especially those with dragon lairs. This is a relatively small religion compared to the others. Some governments don't like or understand Leelin. When local farmhands leave town and go to a mountain top to meditate on dragons, they are not available to draft, get taxed or till the fields. Haters have accused the followers of The Dragon of being cryptic and believing in nonsense. A good cleric of Leelin is fierce warrior monk who uses philosophy and compassion to guide him. An evil cleric of Leelin takes the opposite lessons from dragons and is fierce, greedy and destructive. The Father - Jamor "Jamor’s light shines upon all. Servants of the light should ever seek to shine Jamor’s glory upon the darkness. Be as a shepherd to his flock. Protect the weak and defend truth. Undead are an abomination of the light and can not be tolerated." Being both the principal god of humans and agriculture, Jamor is the most popular god on OM. In many kingdoms, the church of Jamor serves an important role in government. While many of the old institutions of collapsed during the time of chaos, the church of Jamor remained a powerful political and spiritual force in many realms. It is the religion with the most temples, biggest support network, and most tightly controlled and contested hierarchy. Casual worshipers of Jamor pray for a good harvest or a nice day. Devoted priests of Jamor take a vow to protect and serve a given community and often become de facto town leaders when there is no other existing power structure. An example of a good cleric would be someone who leads and protects his community from famine or death by orcs. An evil cleric of Jamor is someone who ignores the needs of his community and uses the church's influence for personal gain. The Gatekeeper - Fandangath "Death is but one step in the cycle of life. Understand your place in the cosmic wheel and fear not that which comes next. Honor those who have moved on and ensure that the dead are not forgotten. Time is a river; the future is always in motion and the past is shrouded in mist." Fandangath is one of the few deities that is universally respected (though somewhat feared) throughout the realms. Fandangath's priests vow to never let the dead go without a ceremonial burial and often travel to war torn places to care for the fallen. Priests of the Gatekeeper are also required to record last wishes and confessions of someone who is about to die. They are also known for being skilled diviners and seers. Most kingdoms have welcomed The Gatekeeper’s followers. Priests of Fandangath excel at rooting out the undead and their dedication to do what many consider a dirty job is admired. In many cities and large towns, the followers of the gatekeeper tend the mausoleums and graveyards. An example of a good cleric of Fandangath is someone who wants to bring peace and dignity to the recently departed and to their loved ones. An example of an evil cleric of Fandangath is a necromancer creep. The Twins – Lodan and Temprana "Never accept the status quo. Seek out new ideas and always have an open mind. Challenge tradition and those who hold power, lest society stagnate. Aid those who make change. Oppose those who suppress new ideas. Fortune favors the bold." The Twins are the god and goddess of change, the winds and fortune. This controversial religion is outlawed in some lands due to it's association with revolution. That being said, sailors, thieves, and anyone else in need of a little luck have uttered the occasional prayer to the Twins. Casual worshippers will pray to the Twins to try to find a new job or when moving. Priests take a vow to question authority and seek change, even to the extent of martyrdom. In lands where lawyers exist, they usually worship either the Twins or the Mason. Followers of the Twins have found themselves in conflict with many governments and every other religion at some point, as they always seem to be involved with revolutionaries, underdogs, and dissidents. A good cleric of The Twins would be a revolutionary working to overthrow an oppressive ruler or an advocate for the weak. An evil cleric of the Twins would be a serial killer. The Minstrel - Yolo "Enjoy life and find delight in all creation. Experiencing the pleasures of life is the greatest form of reverence to the gods. Live each day as if there is no tomorrow and follow your desires without regret . Everyone has their own path to happiness and pleasure. True joy is found at the intersection of these paths. Spread joy to others whenever possible." In art, Yolo is depicted as either a bearded satyr or a fat middle aged gnome with rosy cheeks. In either form he usually has a lute and a chalace with him. From musicians and writers to winemakers and tavern owners, many groups pay homage to the Minstrel. In some lands, the priests of Yolo are highly respected members of the community that run Bard colleges, vinyards, and theatre companies. They are known as great sponsors of public art, musicians and talented artists. In other lands, the church of Yolo is little more than a hedonistic cult, where the devout tend to get intoxicated while worshipping, throw orgies, dance naked in the streets, and have feasts that last for days. The wild behavior of these temples is a turn off to many people, and in some conservative cultures the religion is outlawed. Yet even in places where they cannot worship openly, followers of Yolo still hold secret parties to honor their god. Even though it has always been one of the smaller religions, there have been followers of Yolo for all of recorded history. The big yule holiday in the western realms is dedicated to Yolo. Good clerics of Yolo try to promote art, music and culture while reminding people to enjoy life. Evil clerics of Yolo are alcoholics that run freaky sex cults and manipulate people a la Rasputin. Category:Om Category:Religion Category:Lore